Thursday, November 14. 2013

Normally I strive to take pictures for the BLOG of our volunteers at work. This week it just did not work out for my schedule so here are some shots of the work, albeit without the hands doing it.

Ad Panels

We would like to welcome our Wednesday Special Projects Team, led by Joe Luciani, to our indoor shop work area for the winter. On Wednesday AM the temp was 8 F (with wind chill) with patchy snow and ice on the ground. Not good weather for outdoor restorations. Here, Lee Regione has completed painting the back side of all the ad panels for our Cleveland Transit System 4223 PCC streetcar.

Light Mounting Plates

These are the metal plates for mounting the ceiling lights in the 4223. 'Doc' Walsh painted them all, both sides, with a good quality enamel. These are now protected well as they will not be easily accessible when mounted above the lighting ceiling panels. We used some surplus or leftover enamel from another project.

The Plane Truth

Paul Cronin is planing many pieces of wood to thickness for a passenger department window project. Joe Luciani helped on this task although not in this pic. The Special Project Team spent some quality outdoor time after lunch when it warmed up a bit, rolling up air hoses for the winter, tidying up site work, and closing things down for the season.

Dome Walkway

Dave Rogan is bolting down the second dome walkway on our Great Northern X-1390 tank car. Recall that these were removed during the painting. A short section of open grating - HUH! Over 150 lbs I bet and twelve feet in the air. What we finally did was to craft a system of ropes and ladders and with the help of Dave, Victor Humphreys, John Faulhaber and Paul Cronin the steel was up in the air in less than five minutes.

More Wood Lining

More wood was primed for the interior lining of our Chicago Great Western snowplow. Where does it all go? Seems like more is painted every week. It has to be around here somewhere.

Seat Back

Here is a seat back being reupholstered by John McKelvey. It is a bit more complicated job than the simpler cushions.

Roof Paint

John Faulhaber applied another coat of canvas roof paint to the Lake Shore Electric 810. With each coat it soaks in less and less and the color becomes richer.

Glazing

Finally a pic with someone doing the work. Jeff Brady is glazing another upper window sash for the Michigan Electric 28. This pressed cathedral pattern glass makes a real statement!

Thursday, November 14. 2013

It could have been one of the last really nice days for 2013 on Sunday the 10th and a lot of work moved forward that day. Inside the second Exhibit Car ceiling painting was continued by Shelly Vanderschaegen, Kevin Kreibs and Jon Habegger. Two coats of paint will be applied to the ceiling.

John McKelvey worked in the Barn 4 shop on seat bottoms from the smoking section of the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railway #84 coach. He is reupholstering them in a leather-look vinyl once the basic repair work is done.

John McKelvey sewing seat bottoms together prior to recovering them

The underside of the DMIR 84 coach bench seats

Jon Habegger took a photo inside the DM&IR car smoking section to show some of the completed seat covers in place. It was completely dark in the car when the image was captured.

A shot in the dark of DMIR 84 smoking section from Jon Habegger

Buzz Morisette is making progress in the Ely dining room ceiling repair. Because of previous repair work done on the car, Buzz explained that the curve of the roof has been changed. He is correcting for this cosmetically as much as possible but said a new roof would be required to make it right and that would be a tremendously time consuming and costly project.

Buzz Morisettes skills are being put to good use in the Ely dining room

Buzz patiently waits for the photographer to catch up

Milwaukee Road Dynamometer project leader Warren Newhauser worked with new X-5000 volunteers Dan LaKemper and son Brian on getting mechanical equipment operational while Chuck Trabert sealed the second bay window. The car is expected to be weathertight this winter.

Chuck Trabert and Warren Newhauser working on the Dynamometer Nov. 10, 2013

New X-5000 volunteer Brian LaKemper

New X-5000 volunteer Dan LaKemper

As Warren and Chuck worked outside the Dynamometer car the streamliner cars were switched from their temporary mainline position back to Yard 5.

The streamliner cars were moved back to Yard 5

Mark Gellman helped with switching moves to get the streamliner cars back in their spot in Yard 5. It takes a series of moves to get the train set out of and into Yard 5 and it took about an hour of steady switching to complete the work.

Mark Gellman helped out with the streamliner cars switching moves

After the streamliner cars were back in place, Mike Baksic, Mark Gellman, and Jon Habegger worked another two hours putting extension cords back in place and hooking up heaters so the cars could be warm for meetings.

Thursday, November 14. 2013

Even with the approach of colder weather we keep on working in and around the 2612. Recently, we have resumed the removal of the second stair frame. It's not in as bad a shape as the other one but the support brackets that hold it on to the car need to be replaced. Soooooo..... off it came with the help of Paul Cronin. He, along with Gary Sherman and Mark Gellman have removed much of the rusted out steel on this one side. Now, the trick is to replace it with new steel and rebuilt stairs before the running season begins. I'll keep you updated on our progress.

Heres Paul cutting out rusted steel on the opposite side of coach

Paul is preying out more rusted steel

Sparks-a-flying! Gary cutting out more rusty steel below the windows

There are 12 rusty areas that must be removed and new steel installed

Jane and Loraine taking a break

This is Jan hard at work wire wheeling around the air brake valve

My thanks to the crew of Paul, Gary, Dan, Loraine, Jane, Jan and Mark. Don't forget to send your donations in for the next barn buildings, 13 and 14 . Let's build a couple of barns before we consider other grandiose projects. Roger

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Jeron G. about Early February woodshop activiesSun, 03-01-2015 16:46That was sprayed on the cab while
at East Troy. The locomotive is
TE-1. It was built for Toledo
Edison, and worked there its entire
life until [...]

Roger Kramer about Early February woodshop activiesSat, 02-28-2015 21:28Hello Bill I hope someone from
the Electric Car dept will respond
to your question. I believe one
of the members wrote that on the
engine. It [...]

Roger Kramer about Early February woodshop activiesSat, 02-28-2015 21:24Hello Mr. Fan. I was wondering if
you ever had conveyed your
interest to the team restoring the
plow? Not being involved but
knowing the members [...]

Raphael about Energy in the Steam DeptSat, 02-28-2015 18:16while 428's cab is still on the
ground, there could be some
premature painting and decals that
could go on the outside of the cab

Bill McCoy about Early February woodshop activiesSat, 02-28-2015 15:50The last picture in the woodsshop
report shows the Electroliner and a
yellow steeple cab with a CNS&M
monogram and spray painted number
454. Could [...]

CGW RR fan about Early February woodshop activiesFri, 02-27-2015 12:17The UP sticker could be for a truck
trailer.
The headlight is neat. However for
the accuracy nut, the plow
originally had a style of Pyle
[...]

Nigel Bennett about Steam Department Update January 2015Fri, 02-27-2015 11:44Mike,
Yep. We always like to think she
may have been operated by Casey
...... but we will never be sure.
Nigel

Nigel Bennett about Steam Department Update January 2015Fri, 02-27-2015 11:42Zach,
At this time we will not be
offering "Take the Throttle" on
1630 this year.
The issue is that, after not
running for a number of years, we
[...]

Zach Kaye about Steam Department Update January 2015Fri, 02-27-2015 09:34I am curious as to whether or not
you will be offering cab rides on
1630 this coming season. I
understand you did not offer any
last year, as it was [...]

Dave Zeman about Early February woodshop activiesWed, 02-25-2015 22:04Hey I saw on the home page on the
scroll ad for mother's day,is that
shelter in the picture new? It
looks as if it is right across the
mainline by the [...]